Recession fears are on the rise, and many investors are beginning to lose confidence in the market. Weekly surveys from the American Association for Individual Investors show that investors are becoming less optimistic about the future. In mid-January 2026, around 50% of survey participants felt "bullish" about the market. That figure has steadily dropped since then, now with only 35% of investors feeling optimistic. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the on ...

Ethereum’s price rallied 15% this week breaking $2,100 after US President Donald Trump reignited market sentiment with a State of the Union address praising the economy. Investors funnelled $134 billion into cryptocurrencies after Trump’s speech to Congress on Tuesday, CoinGecko data shows. On Wednesday, traders bought $157 million worth of stakes in Ethereum exchange-traded funds, the best single day since January 15, DefiLlama data shows. The positive price action comes as Wall Street has quietly inc ...

The S&P 500 has traded sideways in 2026, but several international stock markets have already notched double-digit gains.Many experts believe President Trump's tariffs will hurt the U.S. economy. Several recent studies say U.S. businesses and consumers have borne most of the costs, and there is no reason to think that will change. While the Supreme Court recently struck down some of the duties, Trump has replaced them with a 10% global tariff.Uncertainty about the economic impact has motivated some investor ...

Core Insights - The Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) has outperformed the S&P 500 ETF and Total Stock Market ETF in 2026, returning 7.7% year-to-date compared to 1.5% and 1.8% respectively [1] - The ETF focuses on large-cap value stocks, with its top 10 holdings representing only 20.8% of its assets, contrasting with the S&P 500 ETF's 34% concentration in the "Magnificent 7" stocks [1] - The performance divergence is attributed to a market rotation away from mega-cap tech stocks, which have underperformed in 2026 [1] ETF Performance - Vanguard Value ETF returned 7.7% year-to-date in 2026, while the S&P 500 ETF returned 1.5% and the Total Stock Market ETF returned 1.8% [1] - The Magnificent 7 stocks, including Microsoft and Nvidia, have seen significant declines, with Microsoft down 18% and Nvidia up only 5.6% [1] - The median S&P 500 stock has risen approximately 6.8%, indicating broader market strength outside of the largest tech stocks [1] Holdings and Sector Allocation - The Vanguard Value ETF tracks the CRSP US Large Cap Value Index and holds around 312 stocks, focusing on traditional value sectors rather than high-growth momentum [1] - The top holdings include JPMorgan Chase (3.25%), Berkshire Hathaway (3.04%), and Exxon Mobil (2.42%), with no single stock dominating the portfolio [1] - Sector allocations include financial services (22%), industrials (16.7%), healthcare (14.3%), and consumer discretionary (9.1%), benefiting from gains in these areas amid a shift away from tech [1] Investment Strategy - The Vanguard Value ETF's low expense ratio of 0.03% supports long-term compounding and minimizes costs for investors [1] - The ETF provides a defensive core for portfolios, emphasizing undervalued large-cap stocks with solid fundamentals across multiple sectors [1] - In a market environment vulnerable to momentum-driven concentration risks, the Value ETF offers a balanced, low-cost way to maintain equity exposure [1]

Is your gut telling you there's just something not quite right about the market at this time? If so, you're not imagining things: Too many stocks are overvalued as well as technically overbought. It also feels like a few too many companies are vulnerable to some sort of economic turbulence ahead, even if we don't know what turbulence might be brewing. Be wary of coming to sweeping generalizations about "the market," though. It's not every stock. Indeed, you may already realize that most mid-caps don't br ...

interest rate movements.…]## Is Vanguard's Bond Fund ETF Still Worth Owning After A Horrible 2025? | BNDX[Michael Williams | Jan 1, 2025 at 8:20 AM EST When every other asset class is posting double-digit gains, a bond fund delivering 3% feels like dead weight. That's the…]## Wealthy Retirees Have A Special Loophole With A High Yield Municipal Bond ETF[Michael Williams | Jan 12, 2026 at 1:41 PM EST When retirees face higher tax brackets from pension income, Social Security, and portfolio withdrawals, every ...

Quick Read Avantis U.S. Equity ETF (AVUS) tilts toward profitable companies at lower valuations rather than pure market-cap weighting. AVUS compounded at 87.59% over five years compared to 68.86% for Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF. AVUS charges 0.15% annually with 1% portfolio turnover across more than 500 holdings. The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks. Get them here FREE. Most broad U.S. equity ETFs hand the biggest positions to the biggest companies, regardles ...

Quick Read iShares ACWI ex US (ACWX) returned 35.8% over the past year versus 13.0% for the S&P 500. ACWX gained 10.4% year-to-date in 2026 while the US market remained flat. Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US tracks nearly identically to ACWX across all timeframes. The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks. Get them here FREE. For years, US-heavy portfolios were the path of least resistance. But the performance gap is narrowing, and investors who assumed international exp ...

Core Insights - The ETF marketplace offers easy and low-cost access to a wide range of investments, including stocks, bonds, commodities, and more [1] - There are over 4,000 ETFs available, which can be overwhelming for beginners, but with proper guidance, creating a diversified portfolio is achievable [2] - A simple stock/bond portfolio is recommended for beginners, with the option to diversify further over time [3] ETF Recommendations - The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) is highlighted as a comprehensive investment option in U.S. stocks, covering over 3,500 companies with a low annual expense ratio of 0.03% [6] - The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is a strong choice for those preferring large-cap investments, but the preference for a broader market exposure is noted [7] - The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) is recognized for its strict stock selection process, focusing on financial health and dividend history, narrowing down to the top 100 stocks [8] - Dividend-paying stocks have shown the ability to enhance returns and reduce risk, providing stability and income to improve total returns [9]

The risk appetite in the bond market has picked up this year as investors grow more comfortable with the economic outlook and the path of interest rates. A set of bond ETFs through yesterday's close (Feb. 24) highlights a clear trend so far in 2026: favoring government securities with longer maturities has been a winning strategy. Longdated Treasuries continue to lead by a comfortable margin year to date. The Vanguard LongTerm Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ:VCLT) is up 3.5% so far this year. In second place is ...